December 2020 - 47

INDUSTRY NEWS
Pullano promoted;
Nay joins GAMS
Great American Media Services
has announced a promotion and
staff addition to its award-winning
Specialty Agriculture group of
publications.
Gary Pullano has been promoted
from managing editor to editor
of Vegetable Growers News,
Fruit Growers News and National
Nut Grower, the company's new
quarterly publication set to launch
in 2021.
" Gary has been doing an
exemplary job in the day-to-day
operations of
FGN and VGN
since being
named managing
editor in 2017, "
said Specialty
Agriculture
GARY
PULLANO
Editorial Director
Tim Hodson.
" His hard
work, dedication
and commitment to excellence
have been and continue to be a
major asset to the success of our
publications. " I know that under
Gary's leadership, the editorial
content of FGN, VGN and National
Nut Grower will continue to thrive
and set the pace for the industry
we cover. "
Pullano joined GAMS in 2013 as
assistant editor of FGN and VGN.
He has had an extensive career as a
journalist based in west Michigan,
having served at weekly, daily
and specialty business-to-business
publications as a reporter, editor
and newsroom manager.
" I am pleased to be able to
continue to lead our talented
team's efforts with VGN, FGN and
National Nut Grower to provide
timely, accurate and pertinent
information to the specialty
agriculture industry, " Pullano said.
Pullano also is a contributing
editor for the company's other
specialty agriculture publications,
Spudman, Produce Processing and
Organic Grower.
In addition to Pullano's enhanced
role, Crystal
Nay has been
added to the
team as Western
Editor, based in
California.
CRYSTAL NAY
Nay has been a
regular freelance
contributor to
several different
publications covering specialty
agriculture, including the nut and
organic markets on the West Coast.
She will be contributing to the
pages of Vegetable Growers News,
National Nut Grower and Organic
Grower.
" Crystal's agriculture industry
experience and location will allow
Each year, Johnny's Selected
Seeds evaluates thousands of
seed varieties using a strict set
of criteria developed through
research, trialing and customer
input. The goal is to identify
better-tasting, easier-to-grow,
widely adaptable varieties for
fresh-market farmers and home
gardeners. This year, Johnny's novel
introductions include an improved
open pollenated (OP) Bloomsdale
spinach, a tall and menacing jacko-lantern
pumpkin, an impressive
downy mildew resistant basil,
a one-of-a-kind cherry tomato,
and a Batavia-type lettuce.
These additions to the product
assortment, a sampling of over 175
new varieties from Johnny's, will be
available in the 2021 catalog.
Equinox spinach is a faster
growing,
slower bolting
OP, and
much more
uniform than
Bloomsdale.
It features
upright plants
PROSPERA COMPACT
our publications to expand our
coverage of the fruit, vegetable,
nut and organic markets on the
West Coast, " Hodson said.
" We are excited to have
Crystal joining our team at Great
American Media Services, " said
Gerry Bogdon, vice president/
group publisher of specialty ag for
GAMS. " She brings a wealth of
knowledge and experience of nut
production and processing to
National Nut Grower. "
Johnny's sets seed
selection options
pounds. Dark orange skin, deep
ribs, and a pronounced shoulder
create a foreboding look, while a
strong handle carries the weight
well. Bred by Lindsay Wyatt at
Johnny's. Available in treated or
untreated seed.
Prospera Compact DMR is an
exciting new Johnny's-exclusive
basil. The dense, slow-bolting
plants produce large 3-4 inches,
dark green, glossy, heavily cupped
leaves with traditional Genovese
aroma. Plants are uniform with
short spaces between leaves,
producing high yields. Excellent
for live-plant, container and
hydroponic production as well as
gardens. Well-suited for leaf and
tip harvest. Prospera Compact DMR
is available in organic seed only.
Green Bee cherry tomato is a
Johnny's exclusive with a crunchy
texture unlike any other tomato
on the market. A new favorite for
chefs and growers for its tangy
flavor, firm texture and long shelflife.
The perfect tomato for grilling
or roasting. Noted for its muted
" tomatoey "
taste, it is
quite sweet
and when left
on the vine,
can develop
a stone fruit
flavor. Green
GREEN BEE
Bee holds a long time on the vine,
or it can be stored for a few weeks
at room temperature. Bred by Fred
Hempel of Artisan Seeds, Green
Bee is available in conventional
seed only.
Salanova Green Batavia lettuce
is a Johnny's-exclusive featuring
a compact,
open habit
with strong
tipburn and
bolt tolerances.
Tasty and
versatile, this
" Over the past several years, farm
wages have increased at a higher
pace than other industries, which is
why this DOL rule could not come
at a better time, " U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in a
news release. " This is an example
of good government that will
ensure greater stability for farmers
and help them make long term
business decisions rather than facing
uncertainty year after year. "
DOL's final rule updates the
methodology for determining
the annual Adverse Effect Wage
Rates (AEWRs) in the H-2A visa
program. The new rule improves
the consistency of the AEWRs,
provides stronger protections for
workers, and establishes better
stability and predictability for
employers in complying with their
wage obligations.
For the vast majority of
agricultural jobs, the rule stabilizes
the wage rate through calendar
year 2022 by using the average
hourly wages for field and
livestock workers (combined), as
reported by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture's Farm Labor Survey
published in November 2019, as
the AEWRs for field and livestock
worker occupations. Beginning
in 2023, and annually thereafter,
DOL will adjust these AEWRs by
the percentage change in the
Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS)
Employment Cost Index for wages
and salaries for the preceding
12-month period.
SALANOVA GREEN
BATAVIA
EQUINOX
with fully savoyed, medium green
leaves on long stems. Equinox
excels in spring and fall crops and
can be harvested at baby leaf or
full size. Bred by John Navazio at
Johnny's, Equinox is available in
organic seed only.
Igor (pronounced Eye-Gor) is
the perfect Halloween jack for
attracting
attention,
whether at
the farm
stand or the
front door.
Tall and
IGOR
lurking, Igor
is very uniform in size, shape
and menace, averaging 25-35
lettuce produces an impressive
count of crunchy, juicy semi-savoy
leaves that are uniform in size.
Thin petioles and open habit allow
leaves to separate very easily from
one circular cut around the core. Its
strong structure maintains shape
as a whole head, but also works
equally well for cut salad. Plantvariety
protected, it is available in a
pelleted seed only.
For a complete list of seed
varieties offered by Johnny's
Selected Seeds, visit
www.johnnyseeds.com.
Updates set for
H-2A wage rule
The Department of Labor (DOL)
released an update Nov. 2 of its
new H-2A wage rule, which it said
promises to stabilize farm labor costs
and reform the H-2A wage rate.
For all other agricultural
jobs, DOL will set and annually
adjust the AEWRs using the
average hourly wages for the
occupational classification
reported by the BLS Occupational
Employment Statistics Survey
program. These agricultural jobs
are often supervisory or higher
skilled/uniquely skilled, such as
construction jobs, which pay
higher wages than typical farming
occupations.
DOL intends to issue a second
final rule to finalize the remainder
of the July 29, 2019, proposed rule
that will govern other aspects of the
certification of agricultural labor or
services performed by H-2A workers,
and enforcement of the contractual
obligations applicable to employers
of such nonimmigrant workers.
Read the final rule: https://www.
dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/oflc/
pdfs/H-2A_AEWR_Final_Rule_With_
Disclaimer.pdf
The final rule will publish in the
Federal Register at a later date.
VGN | DECEMBER 2020 | 47
http://www.johnnyseeds.com https://www http://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/oflc/
December 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2020
